Recently, while organizing my investment notes, I found that many people are actually not very clear about the timing of US financial report releases, especially in comparison to Taiwan stocks. Instead of saying that financial reports themselves are difficult to understand, it's more that many investors simply haven't figured out when to look at which data.

First, let's talk about Taiwan stocks. Taiwan's regulations are actually quite strict; all listed companies must complete announcements before the specified deadlines, with little flexibility. This year, annual reports must be filed before March 31, and large companies like TSMC and MediaTek need to do so by March 15. Quarterly reports follow scheduled dates: Q1 before May 15, Q2 before August 14, Q3 before November 14. In addition, there's a Taiwan stock market-specific rule that requires companies to announce last month's revenue before the 10th of each month. Because this figure is highly real-time, it is usually used as a leading indicator before quarterly reports.

The logic of US financial report releases is different. Many people get confused because when we say "financial report release," we are actually referring to the company's earnings call and press release timing, not the official filing deadline with the SEC. Earnings calls are usually held in advance, so stock price fluctuations often occur before the official filing.

The annual report in the US is called 10-K, and the filing deadline depends on the company's size. Large companies (market cap over $700 million) can file within 60 days after the fiscal year-end, medium-sized companies within 75 days, and small companies within 90 days. For non-US companies listed in the US, like TSMC ADRs, they file Form 20-F, which has a more relaxed deadline of four months. However, in practice, US companies usually release their annual reports around late January to late February, rather than waiting until the deadline.

Quarterly reports (10-Q) have even shorter deadlines: 40 days for large companies and 45 days for small companies. About 15 days after each quarter ends, banks usually announce first, followed by tech stocks' earnings weeks. For this year's Q1, TSMC held its earnings call on April 16, Tesla on April 22, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon on April 29, and Apple on May 1.

To track these dates, Taiwan investors can use the Public Information Observation Station (MOPS), which is the official platform and the most authoritative source. For US stocks, you can check the SEC's EDGAR database, or use organized calendars on Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq, Investing.com, SeekingAlpha, and similar sites. Many companies also announce their release schedules on their investor relations websites—just search for "Company Name + Investor Relations."

Honestly, knowing the timing of financial report releases is quite important for short-term trading. The biggest stock price fluctuations usually happen during US earnings seasons, and knowing the schedule in advance can help you better plan your entries and exits. In Taiwan stocks, because of the monthly revenue indicator, the market reacts somewhat earlier, but annual and quarterly earnings calls still cause noticeable volatility. Whether in Taiwan or the US, during earnings season, keeping an eye on these public information platforms can give you a competitive edge.